NYC mayor says he is consulting legal counsel on possible arrest of Netanyahu during UN visit
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he is discussing with the city law department whether New York could detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits for the UN General Assembly, citing the ICC arrest warrant.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times' Interview podcast that his administration is reviewing the legal options to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the leader travel to the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Mamdani said he is in "active conversation" with the city’s law department to determine what actions, if any, are permissible under New York law, adding that the city will not create its own statutes to facilitate an arrest.
Mamdani referenced the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant issued in November 2024, which accuses Netanyahu and other Israeli officials of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. He said the warrant gives weight to the legal question, though he acknowledged uncertainty about the mayor’s authority over the NYPD in such a case.
Legal experts have previously warned that arresting a sitting foreign head of government would be practically impossible and could put the mayor at odds with the federal government, which does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. The United States has also imposed sanctions on the court and officials have publicly criticized its authority.
Netanyahu dismissed the mayor’s remarks in a recent radio interview, stating he was not concerned about any potential arrest. Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, accused Mamdani of failing to address antisemitism in the city, while a U.S. UN envoy described the mayor’s statements as "pure political theater."
The discussion occurs amid a broader shift in U.S. political discourse, with some Democrats voting to reduce military aid to Israel and public opinion showing growing criticism of the Gaza conflict.